Variable-speed gear



- jun;31,1923. l 463,287

' J. A. MILLER ET AL I VARIABLE SPEED GEAR File 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Jb/m fl. MIL/.54

ILL/AM D- MILLER Jul 31, 1923.

J. A. MILLER ET AL VARIABLE SPEED GEAR Filed Nov. 5, 1921 s Sheets-Sheet2 .2 w mmmm LL i m PWWM M 3 MMM n m 040 J UH- I III! l||| mwu fi llllnlllll d a I .IIIIJ Il||||,|| Wm N MwHI L A T b J ,T F; l iw July 31,1923. 1.463.287

J. A. MILLER ET AL VARIABLE SPEED GEAR Filed Nov. 5, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet3 Ja/W r4./WILLER 9 4 WILL/AM QM/LLEK Patented July 31, 1923.

Un tas STATES Firm (FE-ICE.

- Joan ALEXANDER MILLER AND WI LIAM DOUGLAS MILLER, or BRIGHOUSE,

ENGLAND.

vARIA'aLE-srEED GEAR.

Application filed November 5, 1921. Serial No. 513,098.

. Speedf Gears, of which the following is a" specification} U V I k v IThe object of this invention 1s to provide an improvedauxiliary gearingintended to be employed in conjunction with change speed gearing ofknown constructiontor the purpose of enabling. a shatter the like ,to'be', driven at twice. the number of different,

speeds normally obtainable, the invention'being speciaily applicable tomotor driven vehicles normally provided withnot more than two or threespeed changes. I

An auxiiiary' gearing constructed in ac cordance with our invention, asapplied to a motor driven vehicle comprises a pinion in mesh with aninternally toothed ring or wheel or the like and means'foroscillatiiigthe driving portion of thelpropeller shaft (which ismade in twoportions) and parts appertaining thereto to occupy two differentpositions, the arrangement being such that when the driving portion ofthe propeller shaft and parts appertaining thereto are in one positionsay an eccentric position with relation to the internally toothed wheel,the drive is transmitted directly from the ordinary gear box through thepropeller shaft to. the back axle, the auxiliary gearing beinginoperative, but when moved to another position, say a concentric.position with relation to the internally toothed wheel, the auxiliarygearing comes into action thereby causing variation in the speed atwhich the back axle would normally be driven.

In a modification of the above device, two inions of different diametersforming a ouble wheel is mounted on the driven portion of the propellershaft, and a modified internally toothed wheel on the drawing portion ofsaid shaft meshes with one or the other of the two pinions, thearrangement being such that when the internal wheel is in a concentricposition with relation to the larger of the two pinions. the auxiliaryearing is inoperative, but when moved into .an eccentric position withrelation tothe ALEXANDnR into action, by the said internal wheelmeshingwith the. lesser of the two pinibnsthre} by cansinga' variationinspeed as aforesaid. Description of the accompanying drawmgs. p y

Fig. 1', is a vertical section ofan auxiliary gearing constructed in'accordance with our invention as applied to a motor driven ve hide.-

Fig. 2, OfLF 1'. I Fig. 3, an endelevationof Fig; 1,1o0k mg thedirection of arrow.

if 1g. 4:, is a section on the lineA', B, in Fig.1.

Fig.- 5 is a similar view of if F l. I

Fig. 6is a sectional plan of Fig. 5 with'the driving portion of thepropellershaft and parts appertaining thereto 'inthe initial pos tionwhen bringing the auxiliary gearing into action, showing in dotted linestheir position whensaid gearing is in action.

Fig. 7 is a sectional end view of Fig. 5 looking in the direction ofarrow.

Fig. 8 is a similar view of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9, is a side elevation of means for operating the driving portionof the propeller shaft and the means appertaining thereto,..to renderthe auxiliary gearing operative or inoperative. In this connection it"will be noted that the driven shaft 2 is eceentrically mounted withrespect to rin gear 9 and'casing 17 and that the position 0 the ringgear 9 in the casing and to the shaft 2 is fixed while shaft 1 andsleeve 5 are capable of movement from a osition eccentric to the casingand in. alignment with shaft 2 to a osition concentric with] the casingand in alignment with-the axis of the ring gear 9.

Figs. 10, 11, and 12 are plan views showing the slotted guide plates orgates employed in connection with gear changing op- (nations in bothdevices.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views. i

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, Sheet 1, of the drawings, thepropeller shaft which is made in two separate parts, comprises a forwardor driving end 1, and a rear or driven end 2. On the latter is mounted apinion 3 which is normally in engagement with the internal teeth 4 of aflanged sleeve, or wheel 5, mounted upon and rotating with amodification carrier being supported by a rod 15 journalled in a bearing16 formed in the casing 17 which surrounds the propeller shaft andauxiliary gear The normal position of the shaft carrier is eccentric asclearly shown in Fig. 4, but it can be moved into a concentrio positionby turning the rod 15 as herein after described.

When the parts are in the position shown in the views aforesaid, theauxiliary gearing A is inoperative, and the drive is transmitteddirectly from'the forward end 1 of the propeller shaft to the rear end,the pinion 3 driving the internally toothed wheel 9;

' but when therod 15 which extends to a universal joint where it ismounted in carrier hearing is moved to the left,the teeth st of theflange or wheel 5 are disengaged "from the pinion 3 whereupon the rod 15is given a partial turn so as to move the shaft carrier 13 into aconcentric position and again moved to the left until the external teethl on the flanged sleeve 5 engage the in"- ternal teeth 12 on the ring 9the sleeve 5 sliding upon the keys or projections 7 of the propellershaft 1. The drive is now transmitted from the toothed flange 5 throughthe internally toothed ring 9 to the pinion 3 and so to the rear end 2of the pro peller shaft causing the back axle of the vehicle to bedriven at a higher speed than normal.

The actuation of the rod 15 as ahove described may be eilected by meansof a lever 20 pivoted at 21.011 a bracket 22 capable of turning in itshearings 23 in a hraclret 24: bolted to a sleeve of the gear box or thelike. see Fig" 9, One arm of the lever 20 terniinates in a universaljoint 25 connected to one end of the rod 15 and the other armterrainates in a handle 26 suitahly situated Wit relation to the driverof the vehicle lever 20 worlts within a sh drawings screws 18 extendir'1 ing 3! limit oscillate shaft carrier 13 in hoth on door 19 isprovided in casing 17 purpose of inspection and give easy asset" to theparts,

Referring to Figs, 5, 6 'Z $5 9, 10, 11 and 1,21, Sheets 2 v teeth thepi and 3 of the dis.

messes pense with the ring or wheel 9 shown in the other views, and theexternal teeth 49 on the flange or wheel 5 and construct the latter withthe faces of the internal teeth 1 of greater breadth, We also mount onthe rear end 2 of the propeller shaft a double pinion or wheel 3, 3, thepinion 3 being of larger diameter than the pinion 3. The internal teetha are normally in engagement with the pinion 3 and concentric with thesame, the auxiliary gearing being now inoperative and the drive istransmitted directly from the forward end 1 of the propeller shaft tothe rear end 2 thereof the wheel 5 driving the double wheel and the rearend 2 through the pinion 3*; but when the rod 15 is moved to the left bythe hand lever 20 as before described, the teeth & oi the flange orwheel 5 are disengaged from the pinion 3 whereupon the rod 15 is nextgiven a partial turn by the said lever so as to move the shaft carrier13 into an eccentric position and then moved to the right until theteeth aforesaid engage the teeth 3 of the double wheel, the sleeve 5sliding upon the shaft 1 as before described. 'ljhe drive is nowtransmitted from the internal wheel 5 through the pinion 3 to the rearend 2 of the propeller. shaft causing the back axle of the vehicle to hedriven at a higher speed than normal.

In order to stabilize the forward end 1 of the propeller shaft and theshaft carrier 13 during the swinging or floating movementof the end 1and the running of the propeller shaft at all speeds. and also to limitthe longitudinal and oscillatory movement the shaft carrier 13, we forma projecti n 29 on the shaft carrier 13 which operates within a U shapedgroove or gate 30 casting 31 forming a part of or attached the casing 17clearly shown at Figs. 5 12 of the drawings. similar 32,

11 is provided the arm. 28 of hraelzet 24's for similarly guiding ingthe movement of the lever 25, allel grooves indicating the lon imovements of the rod 15 and the sin rier 13 for disengagi and re-engariei volve, said carri, to linear and oscillating the driven. shaft ad:nrst mentioned pinion in the tion of the shafts, means for acti 1L iaeeeev carrier to dispose the drive shaft and the pinion thereon in aposition out of align ment with the driven shaft, and an intermediategear element having drive connection with the said driven shaft and.adapted to mesh with the gear onthe drive shaft in the nonalignedposition of the shafts.

2. An auxiliary gearing of the character described, comprising a driveshaft, a driven shaft, a sleeve slidable on the drive shaft, a pinioncarried by the sleeve, a carrier in which said sleeve is revolublymounted, said. carrier being capable of rectilinear movement to shiftthe sleeve and pinion longitudinally of the drive shaft and being alsocapable of oscillating movement to shift the drive shaft into and out ofalignment with said driven shaft, a pinion fixed to the driven shaftadapted to mesh with the first mentioned pinion in the aligned positionsof the shafts, a revolublering enclosing the adjacent ends of saidshafts and'fixed in eccentric relation to the driven shaft, teeth at oneend of said ring disposed to mesh con-- tinuously with the pinion on thedrive shaft and teeth at the opposite end of said ring adapted to meshwith the teeth of the pinion of the drive shaft when the" latter ispositioned out of alignment with. the driven shaft. v

3. An auxiliary gearing of the character described comprising a driveshaft, a driven shaft, a carrier for one of said shafts capable ofoscillating and rectilinear movement, means for oscillating said carrierto shift drive shaft into and out of all ment with the driven shaft,means'for e ecting reetilinear movement of the carrier to establish adirect connection between said shafts in the aligned position "thereofand an indirect speed changing cennection 1 between the shafts in thenon-alig ed position thereof.

4. An auxiliary ring of the character described comprisir drive shaft, adriven shaft, afcarrier for the drive shaft capable of oscillating andrectilinear rievement, meansfor oscillating said carrier t0 shift thedrive shaft into and. out of alignment with the driven shaft,'said meansbeing also utilizedto efiect rectilinear movement of the carrier on thedrive shaft, said. shifting means comprising a sliding shaft to whichthe carrier is fixed, an actuating lever connected to said slidingsupport te which said lever is pivoted and means controlled by movementof the shaft and carrier for establishing a direct drive connectionbetween the shafts in the aligned positions thereof designed to rotatethe driven shaft at a rate equal to that of the drive shaft, said meansserving to establish an indirect connection between the shafts in thenonaligned position thereof designed to JOHN ALEXANDER MILLER; WILLIAMDGUGLAS MILLER.

Witnesses ABM. REED.

Lucx OUTHWAITE.

shaft and'a rotatable

